Sugar et al, Author at Sugar et al

Spiced Chocolate Streusel Cake

8|05|2014

On a cold day, nothing warms up my soul than the smell and taste of spice. Spices are a part of my heritage..they are built into my palate, they spell the word comfort to me…even more than chocolate. They can take me back in time when I woke up to the sound of the mortar and the pestle every day as a little girl. My mother would fill up jars of freshly ground cumin, cinnamon, cardamom, coriander or nutmeg after dry roasting them and the house would smell wonderful for hours. Spices are a constant in my kitchen too and consciously or otherwise I play around with them in my cooking and my recipes. If you are reading this blog for a while, you know that I love to pair them up in my desserts too.

I was a bit unsure of whether I should call this a chocolate cake in the first place. The obvious reason for that is that there is no chocolate in it. The cake and the streusel use cocoa powder. In the era of the ‘chocolate chunk’ baked goods this would be rather old-fashioned or out of place….is what I thought. But one bite into the cake and I immediately loved it. It has all the qualities of a good chocolate cake minus the richness. It’s moist and light and the crumble or streusel totally compensates for a frosting. The spice is subtle in the cake but shines through in the topping.

A cake like this is hassle free and easy. It’s easy to make and easy to store and carry in your lunchboxes. If you adore spice, this is certainly delicious. A dollop of whipped cream or ice cream with a few berries on the side makes it a lovely dessert. My husband who is not a lover of rich, frosted cakes went in for seconds which was a pleasant surprise considering the fact that he stays away from most of the sweets at home.

You could leave out the spice if you want a plain chocolate cake. It would still taste good with the crumble on top but the spice takes it to a different level. The cake is best served warm or at room temperature.

Spiced Chocolate Streusel Cake
Serves 6-8

1 1/3 cups plain flour
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1 cup castor sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp powdered ginger
1 cup buttermilk
2 eggs
125g butter, melted, cooled
1 teaspoon vanilla essence

For the streusel topping
1/2 cup plain flour
50 g butter, chilled and chopped into cubes
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup pecans or any nut of your choice, finely chopped
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ginger

Preheat oven to 180 degrees C. Lightly grease a 18 cm round cake pan. Line base with baking paper. Sift flour, bicarbonate of soda, cocoa powder and spices into a large bowl. Add in the sugar. Combine buttermilk, eggs, melted butter and vanilla in a jug. Make a well in centre of flour mixture. Pour in buttermilk mixture. Using an electric mixer, beat on low-speed until combined. Increase speed to high. Beat for 3 to 4 minutes or until thick and creamy. Pour mixture into prepared pan.

To make the crumble topping, place all the ingredients in a bowl. Use your fingertips to rub the butter into the mixture until the mixture contains large and small crumbs.

Sprinkle the crumble topping over the cake batter in the prepared pan.

Bake for 50 to 55 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Allow to cool in pan for 5 minutes. Remove gently from the pan and cool on a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Caramelised White Chocolate Doughnuts

4|05|2014

I share a little shopping ritual with my twin boys. If they are joining me on a grocery trip to the supermarket, they would get to pick and choose and eat their favourite doughnuts. The supermarket is located inside a busy shopping centre and though many of the popular doughnut outlets also happen to be on the same floor, they always want to pick the doughnuts from the bakery section in the same supermarket. The obvious reason for that is the colourful inviting displays are very suitably placed within the eye level and even reach of a small child. Marketing strategy at its best. So each time not one but two of the combo packs tinted in bright shades and strewn with colourful sprinkles land up on my shopping trolley.With a constant supply of outsourced doughnuts, my blog has completely missed the opportunity to make some at home. But since the time I’ve discovered caramelised white chocolate I’ve developed an uncontrollable urge of dunking everything into it…muffins, cupcakes, eclairs, cookies and even store bought doughnuts. That is if I am able to convince the boys to buy the non-glazed ones, especially cinnamon doughnuts. Caramelised chocolate with a little spice is the next thing to Heaven…is all I can say. So I thought it was time to post a doughnut recipe.

I’ve tried out a few baked doughnut recipes before but they’ve never turned great so I was on the lookout for one. This one is way better (from Sally’s Baking Addiction) than the rest and is soft with a great texture. Though I personally feel that a baked doughnut never measures up to a fried one, keeping health and convenience in mind these are pretty good. You can use the fried ones as well and I am sure they would taste amazing too. The caramelised white chocolate is the star of the show so really anything dunk-able would do.

I think I have mentioned before that I use David Lebovitz’s recipe and method for caramelising the white chocolate. It always works for me. It is a simple process (explained really well) and all that it requires is some patience. The results are worth it. The recipe will yield more caramelised white chocolate than needed to glaze the doughnuts. To use up the rest of the chocolate, you may want to look at this cheesecake or this mousse. I’ve added toasted chopped pecans mixed with a little bit of chocolate sprinkles to decorate the doughnuts. Feel free to play around with the decorations.

The original recipe for the doughnuts using a doughnut pan made 8 doughnuts. Since I used individual pans which may be slightly bigger than the size of a regular doughnut, I got 6 out of the batter.

Caramelised White Chocolate Doughnuts
Yields 6 large or 8 medium doughnuts

For the baked donuts (adapted from Sally’s Baking Addiction)
1 cup (125g) all-purpose flour (careful not to over measure)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/3 cup (65g) granulated sugar
1/4 cup (60ml) milk
1/4 cup (60g) Greek yogurt
1 large egg
2 Tablespoons (30g) unsalted butter, melted
1 and 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 recipe caramelised white chocolate ganache, lukewarm
1/4 cup toasted, finely chopped pecans, to decorate
chocolate sprinkles, to decorate

For the caramelised white chocolate ganache (makes about 2/3 cup)
1/2 cup caramelised white chocolate (using David Lebovitz’s recipe)
1/4 cup heavy or thickened cream

For the baked doughnut: Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C. Spray a donut pan with non-stick spray. Set aside.

Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, and granulated sugar together in a medium bowl. Set aside.

Whisk the milk, yogurt, and egg together until smooth. Add the melted butter and vanilla, whisking until fully combined. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Do not over mix. The batter will be very thick.

Pipe the batter or spoon the batter into the doughnut cups. Since the batter is quite thick it is easier to pipe it in. You can use a ziplock bag in case you don’t have a piping bag. Cut a corner off the bottom of the bag and pipe the batter into each donut cup.

Bake for 9–10 minutes or until the edges are lightly browned. Allow the donuts to slightly cool before glazing.

For the Caramelised White Chocolate Ganache: Place the caramelised white chocolate in a medium bowl. Bring the cream to a boil over medium heat. Remove from heat and pour over the chocolate. Leave aside for 5 minutes and stir with a spoon till smooth. Cool slightly before glazing the doughnuts.

The chocolate ganache sets completely when cooled so the glazing would have to be done before the ganache cools completely. In case, it becomes hard, warm slightly while stirring with a spoon and it turns to a liquid consistency.

To Assemble : Dip the cooled doughnuts into the caramelised white chocolate ganache and turn to coat evenly. Transfer each doughnut onto a wire rack over a baking sheet to catch the glaze drippings. Take each doughnut and dunk again if you have enough glaze leftover. Sprinkle with toasted pecans and chocolate sprinkles in your desired pattern.

Orange+Almond+Oats+Coconut (Anzac) Biscuits

30|04|2014

A few days ago, I was reading an article in Good Housekeeping (via the Kitchn) about ’10 foods that make you sleepy and 10 that keep you up’. Since I frequently deal with sleep problems, I thought it was quite appropriate for me. Incidentally, a batch of these were baking in the oven as I was reading through. Topping the list of things that help one sleep better were oats and almonds, both of which were present in these biscuits. I almost found myself wishing that all that was written in the article were true and I could eat biscuits and go to bed. How does that sound?

To be honest, these have nothing to do with sleep. Partly true. That is if you are not dreaming of them. They are deliciously addictive biscuits with a gorgeous caramel like flavour, accompanied by a slight chew from the coconut, a nutty bite from the almonds and a mild flavour and fragrance from the orange. Too many good things happening there.

We enjoyed two long weekends this month..first Easter and then Anzac Day. And that is precisely why I made these in the first place. These are perhaps biscuits that are held in the highest regard in Australia. I made 3 different versions of the traditional Anzac biscuits and we ate them all though the weekend.

Did I sleep better?
I did. Whether it has any connection with the ingredients at all or not, I had plenty of activity, winter shopping, cooking and eating to get my mind tired.

Orange Almond Anzac Biscuits (adapted with variation from Taste.com)
Makes 20 biscuits

1 cup plain flour
1 cup whole rolled oats
1 cup dessicated coconut
1/2 cup almond slivers
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon finely grated orange zest (I used a Navel Orange)
125g butter (use Earth Balance for lactose free)
2 tablespoons golden syrup
2 tablespoons water
1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

Preheat oven to 160 degrees C. Line 2 large baking trays with non-stick baking paper.

Combine the flour, oats, coconut, almonds, sugar and orange zest in a large bowl. Stir the butter, golden syrup and water in a small saucepan over medium heat until the butter melts and the mixture is smooth.

Stir in the bicarbonate of soda. Add to the oat mixture and stir until well combined.

Roll level tablespoons of the mixture into balls and place, about 5cm apart, on the lined trays. (If you find the mixture too crumbly to roll, place the mixture in the fridge for 10 minutes.) Flatten until about 1cm thick. Bake, swapping trays to upper and lower oven shelves halfway through cooking, for 18 minutes or until light golden.

Set aside for 10 minutes to cool before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Lemon Curd and Yoghurt Eton Mess

27|04|2014

If there is something that is always present in my refrigerator, greatly appreciated by my family and finds its use in multiple savory or sweet dishes cooked in my kitchen, it has to Greek Yogurt. Because of it’s thick creamy consistency, slightly acidic taste and significantly high health benefits, I find myself including it in my everyday diet, slowly using it instead of cream (single or double) sour cream and even cream cheese in recipes that require their usage.

In Australia we have easy access to Greek yogurt. On account of that, it is widely used to replace mayonnaise in burgers, in salad dressings, dips, marinades, cakes and of course frozen yogurt. My latest way of using it is in a Greek inspired home made lamb pizza in the form of a tzatziki topping (recipe coming soon). What are benefits of Greek Yoghurt over regular yoghurt, you may ask. The answer lies in the way it has been processed. Extra steps in straining the yoghurt results in a more concentrated, thicker consistency which is higher in protein, lower in sugar and carbohydrates. Basically, it keeps you feeling full longer.

It is no secret to my regular readers how much I love meringue…making it and eating. I usually don’t have leftover egg whites at home as they are quickly turned into meringue. Home made lemon curd on the other hand is again another lemony treat that frequents my fridge. It’s easy to make and dolloping it on any sweet treat takes the sweet to a different level. I have been combining the 3 together for a quick, light sweet fix since years and the combination is always appreciated. Being gluten free and rich in probiotic goodness makes it what it is…guilt free!

The greatest thing with this dessert is that the individual elements can be made ahead and stored separately. Better still, for those who may find it hard to make meringue or lemon curd, go ahead and use store bought and assemble before serving. If you are making meringue (or meringue nests) at home, particularly for a Eton Mess, you don’t have to be neat or use a piping bag. It’s supposed to be messy and that is how it is enjoyed. Therefore dolloping whipped egg whites with a spoon is just fine. Just make sure that the sizes (big or small) are more or less uniform so they are baked evenly.

Lemon Curd and Yoghurt Eton Mess
Serves 4

400 g Greek Yoghurt (Plain or Vanilla), slightly cold
24 meringue kisses (or 4 meringue nests), a few crushed (recipe below)
1/2 cup Lemon Curd (recipe here)

In a medium bowl, whisk the Greek Yoghurt slightly to make it light and airy (about a minute). Spoon it into 4 serving bowls. Divide the meringue kisses and lemon curd equally between the bowls. Swirl slowly with a spoon. Serve immediately.

Meringue Kisses (Makes 24-26 meringue kisses)

3 egg whites
3/4 cup Castor Sugar

Preheat oven to 110 degrees C. Line 2 baking trays with baking paper.

Using an electric mixer, beat eggwhites until stiff peaks form. Add caster sugar. Beat for 8 minutes or until sugar has dissolved.

Place mixture into a piping bag fitted with a star or plain nozzle. Pipe 3cm wide meringue rounds or kisses onto prepared trays, allowing 2cm between each for spreading. Bake for 30 minutes or until meringues are firm to touch. Turn off oven and allow to cool in the oven with door slightly ajar.